Climate: Time to Shift Verb Tenses

For a long time I and others have argued that the climate campaign’s crusade for carbon constraints (how’s that for alliteration?*) is failing. Between the total farce of the Kyoto protocol (the climate diplomacy equivalent to the Kellogg-Briand Pact) and the collapse of cap and trade in the last Congress (the climate policy equivalent of wage and price controls), I think it is time to change verb tenses on this subject, from “is failing” to “has failed.”

The latest news item out of Europe today offers the reason for the shift. The EU is backing off its carbon tax for the airlines, at least partially:

EU To Suspend Aviation Carbon Tax

Brussels – The European Union is set to partially suspend its controversial airlines emissions tax scheme, officials said Tuesday, as part of a bid to push international critics into reaching a global aviation deal.

Since last year, all airlines landing and taking off from EU airports have been liable for their carbon dioxide emissions, a move that infuriated countries such as the United States, China, Russia and India. . .

In the past, the EU had justified its decision to proceed unilaterally on aviation emissions by pointing to 15 unsuccessful years of pushing for a global agreement.

I especially like this sentence:

“It is now up to ICAO to deliver,” said Irish Environment Minister Phil Hogan, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. “I hope this … derogation will serve as an incentive in the negotiations.”

Yeah, suspending a hated tax is just what you do when you want to provide “incentives” to negotiate. It is possible the tax will survive at the end of the day. But this is pretty lame.

* Of course, perhaps the best alliteration would be “climate campaign’s crusade for carbon constraints and punishment,” or, CCCCCP. Heh.